Air relief valve



June 6, 1933. F. w. LEUTHESSER A 'A i 1,913,165

AIR RELIEF VALVE Filed July 18, 1929 f 1 Y Z266/ @Zea/2265562;

Patented .1m 6,1933

" UNITED STATES PATENTol-Flca natation mea my 1s,

' v10 valve-casing and thereafter permanently obscured.

A further object of the invention is to provide an air vent valve havinga double valve seat, a valve member adapted to prevent re- ?15 turn ofair into the valve and a thermostatic Hieat valve adapted te prevent theescape of Asteam or water while permitting escape oi" air, from thevalve, said oat valve being provided with means of adjustment remote 20from said double valve seat.

Gther objects, advantages and capabilitles' will later more fullyappear.

My invention further resides in the combination, construction andarrangement of 25 parts illustrated in the accompanying drawing, andwhile I havel shown herein -a prefer-red embodiment I wish the same tobe understood as illustrative only and not limiting the scope of myinvention. In the accompan g drawing, Figure 1 is an e evational view ofan air relie valve .embodyin my invention and Fi 2 is a section on 51eline 2-2 of ig. 1.

Re erring to the drawing, the valve comprises a casing or valve chamber10,1which preferably comprises a base 11, and an up r tubular portion12. The base 11 is providd with an mteriorshoulder 13 and thereabove isinteriorly threaded-to receive an exteriorly o threaded portion at thebottom of the tubular portion 12. The base 11 is provided with athreaded nipple 14 which is preferably formed integrally therewith, saidnipple 14 being adapted to s crew into a tapped opening 5 of a radiatorcoil or other steam contaliner.

1939. Serial N0. 879,083.

The bottom ofthe base 11 is provided with an upstanding boss 15 which isbored and tapped to receive a threaded -pin 16 which is rovided with aslot at its lower end so that 1t may be rotated from the exterior of the50 chamber 10 during assembly. Through the nipple 14 extends ,a si hontube 17' which is sultably slit and iare laterally at its inner end toretain same in position.

The lower end of the tubular portion 12 of 55 the chamber 10, ispreferably of relatively large diameter, and ,gives into a relativelylong cylindrical portion of smaller diameter, the upper end of wliichtapers into aneck portion 18 which is provided with a double G0 valveseat connected by an airpassage 19. The lower valve seat 1s designated20 and the upper valve seat 21. The neck portion 18 is threaded toreceive a vented cap 22 which serves to surround' a ball 23 and retainsame 65 in operative relation to the valve seat 21.

Within the tubular portion 12 of the chamber 10, is located athermostatic lioat24,which is similar in shape tosaid tubular portionbut substantially smaller in size so as to move 70 `freely therethrou h.At its'upper end the oat 24 is provide with a valve needle 25 the upperend of which is tapered to engage the valve seat 20. The lower end ofthe iioat 24 is closed by a dia hragm 26 of light metal 75 i which ispreferab yLprovided with one or more circular corrugations 27 toaccentuate the distortion thereof when ressure -is produced within theiloat. Be ore the float is `sealed a suitable amount of volatile liquid3 is introduced thereinto so that the diaphragm 26 is ressed downwardlywhen steam enters intot e chamber 10. .Y v

In assembling thevalve, the iloat 24 is introduced into the tubularportion 12 which 35 is thenv forcibly screwed into the-hase 11. Thisunion may-be rendered more permanent by soldering or brazing, ifdesired. The threaded tpin 16is thenadjusted properly to position e oat24. This adjustment may 9 be effected by rotating the in by means of itsslot from below, until t e valve needle becomes lirmly seated on theseat 20 and then retracting the in to a limited extent depending uponthe istortion of the diaphragm 26 upon exposure of the float to steam..Or the nipple 14 may be connected to a source of steam and the pin 16actuated until escape of steam by the passage 19 is prevented. After theadjustment of the pin 16, the lower end of the bore of the boss 15 isclosed by supplying solder or other fused metal 28 thereto, thuspreventing further movement or un.- necessary manipulation of the pin16.

In operation, the valve will permit air to pass from a steam radiator orother steam system, the needle 25 being in retracted position'and thepressure being suicient to raise the ball 23 off the seat 21. If thechamber 10 becomes Hooded with water the fioat 24 is raised thereby sothat the needle 25 closes the passage 19 and prevents its escape. Whenthe air is displaced and steam enters the chamber 10, the volatileliquid in the float 24 is vaporized and the diaphragm 26 is Idistortedoutwardly and owing to its engagement with the upper end of the pin 16,the needle v25 is pressed upwardly against the seat 20 a'nd preventsesca e of the steam. When the pressure within t esteam system fallsbelow atmospheric ressure the ball 23 will prevent the return of) air toa substantial extent and enable'the system to operate under vacuum 35'thus increasing its heat transfer eiciencyand its continuity ofoperation.

I claim: v 1. An air relief valve comprising a chamber formed from twoparts, the lower part being of cup shape and the u per part ofsubstlntially tubular shape an contracting eck at its upper end, an airpassage throu h said neck, a ball seated thereon a vente cover retainingsaid ball in operative relation to said seat, a valve seat in the innerend of said neck, a threaded nipple extending laterally from `said lowerart, an upstanding boss on the bottom o? sald lower part, said boss'being bored and tapped, a threaded pin in said bore rovided with a slotat its lower end where .it may be rotated and advanced in said re, thelower end of said pin being located in said bore, a ioat in saidchamber-provided with a valve needle at its upper end adapted to en agethe 1nner valve seat and at its lower en with a distortable diaphragm,volatile li uid in said ioat adapted to become vaporiz by steamto'distort said dia hragm, said diaphragm being .engaged by t e upperend of said pin to mamtainthe valve -needle in o rative relation to theinner valve seat, an a mass of solder in the lower end of said boremaintainmg said pin in ad'usted position.

2. An air relie valve comprising an elongated chamber having a dat aseand an internal boss in the base, a valve seat at the upper end of thechamber a thermostatic iloat valve having a corrugated dlaphrnagmadapted to cooperate with said seat, a he ed pin mounted in theinternalboss contacting the diaphragm and o rable from the exteriot` of thechamber fdr adjusting the float valve, the lower end of the pin beingabove the bottom face of the base and surrounded thereby, wherebyfusible material may be filled in flush with said face to secure the pinin ad'usted position.

3. air relief valve comprising an elongated chamber, a valve seat at theupper-end' of the chamber, a thermostatic oat valve adapted to cooperatewith the valve seat, a boss having a threaded bore extending 1nwardlyfrom the fiat base, a headed pin threaded in the bore'of the boss andcontacting with the float valve to adjust same with respect to its seat,the lower end of the pin terminating above the face of the base, andfusible metal in the lower end of said bore and iush with the basemaintaining the pin permanently in adjustment and preventing leakagethrough the bore.

4. An air relief valve, comprising a c lindrical casing contracted atits up r en and having a centrally disposed va ve seat, a

' cupped base closing the lower end of .said casing, said base havingva. centrally apertured reentrant bottom ortion, a hollow valve carryingfloat mova le in said casin relative to the valve seat and charged wit aheatexpansible fluid', a flexible iaphragm forming the bottom wall ofsaid Boat, and an adjusting screw threaded in the aperture in thereentrant base and formed at its inner end,

a flexible dia hragmcoo eratmgwiuth said support and orming thel ttomwall of said float, and a si hon tube extending outward through saidbase and having means extendg laterally within the `base to preventdisplacement thereof. f v

6. An automaticV valve off-the class described, comprising a casing,a'hollow'float soc foo

seat and charged with a heat expansible fluid,

movable in said casing and charged with a heat expansible fluid, aiiexible diaphragm forming the bottom wall'of the said float, a 'I valveseat ada ted to be closed by the outward l'exurel o said diaphragm, anadjust .ing screw projecting through the bottom of the casing and havinga rounded head engaging the under surface of said diaphragm to supportsaid diaphragm in spaced relation to said bottom and provide a drainchamber therebeneath, and a Siphon tube extending laterally outwardthrough said casing from the drain chamber below said diaphragm.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto set my hand this 15th day of July,1929.

FRED W. LEUTHESSER.

